May 8 2017

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and a big part of this occasion is finding the perfect gift. Showing your mom or the other important women in your life you love them doesn’t necessarily have to cost you a fortune though. DIY gifts are a perfect way to to truly show your appreciation with something that’s made with love. Here are some of our DIY gift ideas we love from Pinterest!

Apr 24 2017

Apr 19 2017

This past weekend my girlfriends threw me the most adorable safari-themed baby shower. I can not get over how absolutely perfect every single little touch was, so I wanted to share it with all of you. While I didn’t plan the party, it was definitely Gift Insider approved!

A shot of my 33 week baby bump and the sweetest hostesses: Lauren, Nicole and Lindsay.

They had colorful chalkboard signs for the food, mimosa bar and favors and gifted me the giraffe decor to use as bookends in our safari-themed nursery.

Eek! How adorable is this elephant fruit tray? Nicole DIY-ed this herself after spotting something similar on Pinterest.

To add some flare to the tables, they had green palm runners, mini gold animals and black, gold and white confetti. White roses were the focal point and they even put little stickers on the hershey kisses that tied it all together.

The desert bar was just insane! They had these green and gold safari-themed treats made that matched the whole party perfectly and we’re *almost* too pretty to eat. More close ups below.

Rice Krispies on top, chocolate covered oreos in the middle and chocolate covered pretzels on the bottom. All with edible gold animals.

And of course, cake pops.

I’m not sure what these are called, but they were delicious.

Nicole and Linds at the mimosa bar.

Lauren DIY-ed these animal cracker mason jar favors with little animals on top. They were delicious and I can’t wait to use the mason jars to store something sweet in baby Schey’s nursery.

Baby Schey was showered with so many cute gifts! He’s already such a lucky boy.

It was such a special day being showered with so much love. The thought that was put into the party meant the world to me.

We’d love to hear about your Baby Showers, tell us in the comments below!

Feb 23 2017

We love working with small businesses, handmade companies and start up concepts. It’s so exciting for us to see the unique products these folks have created. We rounded up a few unique ideas that we love and we thought you would too.

Jan 30 2017

I decided to host a little get together for some pregnant girls in our area and thought a “mama-to-be tea” party would be the perfect way to do it. I had all the girls come over on a Sunday afternoon to relax and chat about all things baby and all things pregnancy. Think we may make it a monthly tradition!

I stocked up on 4 different types of Tazo teas, both caffeine-free and regular, a Pregnancy Tea I found on Amazon and some lemon, stevia and sugar cubes. I had my favorite bottles of mini Pelligrinos on hand and finally found an excuse to use the pretty bud vases I got as a wedding shower gift.

I used formal china for the tea cups but kept everything else pretty casual. The Anthropologie pitcher is no longer available, but I use every time I entertain and it’s one of my absolute favorite wedding gifts.

Our living room in our new home is finally complete so I loved being able to comfortably relax and fit 8 girls casually in this space. I scored these blooms from Trader Joes.

Now for the food!

I made caprese skewers and fruit skewers so everything was easy to eat as finger food. I made life easy on my preggo self and bought macaroons and desert bites from the frozen section of Trader Joes.

The sandwiches were the only time consuming part but definitely a key component of any tea party. I made three different pregnant-friendly (no deli meat) sandwiches: 1. cucumber + cream cheese 2. chicken salad + apple 3. cucumber + cream cheese + dill

Jessie, Julie and Alex grabbing some treats.

All of the moms-to-be!

We’d love to hear any fun things you did with your pregnant friends! Tell us in the comments below.

Dec 16 2016

The holidays are almost here and we have some unique and last-minute gift ideas for every type of person on your list.

1. Hourly Gifts Holiday Box

A Christmas where you get presents all day long! Along Came a Box created a special Pretty in Pink Holiday Box. You get a gift every hour, all day long. Includes 8 pretty pink gifts, all including artist cards, all handmade by small businesses. Gifts are to be opened starting at 9am & 7 more hours after. All gifts in sweet drawstring bags. From a ring dish to a candle. Sweet, pink & an idea that will melt her, all day long. $120

If you don’t know about AllPosters.com yet, then you just found the place, for posters & art prints & now they can take your photos & turn them into personalized canvases. Use their MyPhotos feature, a super user-friendly tool on their site which allows you to turn your favorite photos into personalized wall decor. From $39.99, depending on size & framing.

3. Ghostdrone 2.0

Drones are HUGE this year. No experience needed to fly the GHOSTDRONE 2.0. All you need is your smart phone & the Ehang app and you can capture amazing photos & video footage. Ready to fly right out of the box with 3 easy flight modes. Only drone that lets you see what the Drone sees with its cool FPV goggles. Black or White. On sale for $699, originally $899.

4. Tickle Me Plant

It’s fun & it’s real, perfect for the kiddies. The Zombie Plant “Plays Dead” when you Touch it. Minutes later it comes back to life. The plant grows inside the Zombie Plant Grow Kit. Kit includes 6 soil pellets & a full packet of Zombie Plant Seeds & 10 fun ideas to do with your Zombie Plant. Great Holiday or Nature Gift for anyone that likes Plants & or Zombies. $15.95

5. ShopRunner Make Up Kits

Shoprunner is perfect for all your last-minute gifts, members enjoy free 2-day shipping, free return shipping and member-only deals from over 140 of their favorite stores. They have a great selection of stores and brands, which makes this the perfect way to shop for last minute holiday gifts. A few examples of the items available on Shoprunner are these make up kits, Dior Holiday All-In-One Couture Palette Face-Eyes-Lips Limited Edition ($89) and NARS Thousand Worlds Lip & Nail Set ($49). But the options are endless!

6. Reverie Cool Down Pillow

Reverie is a Detroit-based company that offers scientifically developed products designed to provide optimum sleep. Their Cool Down Pillow is the perfect gift for any sleeper, or especially great for couples who have different sleep temperature preferences. It’s made with high-quality down and feather pillows wrapped in memory foam that perfectly cradles your head. And what we really love is it has Rev-Cool TM fabric on one side that’s cool to the touch, and one side featuring ambient temperatures for those who get cold easily.

7. Gigi New York Leather Purses and Accessories

We love the style, the leathers and most importantly that you can personalize all of Gigi New York’s pieces. The perfect splurge gift for the lady you love most. Their bucket bag or saddle bags are trending this year, and their leather accessories are the perfect stocking stuff. $350 or Jen Bucket Bag, $345 for saddle bag , $34 for bucket bag charm

8. Apollo Box

Apollo Box is the platform to discover, collect and purchase amazing products from the world. Every product on Apollo Box is hand-picked by editors. We’re loving this Goat Horn Coffee Cup. It’s Leak proof, ergonomic design lets you get the last sip of coffee and comes with two straps so you can attach it to a bag or wear it over your shoulder. Flip the sleeve over and it converts into a cup holder. A great gift for coffee and goat lovers

TGI Deal // Use code GIFTINSIDER15 to save 15% off (Valid until 12/31/16)

We’d love to hear what you are giving and getting the season. Tell us in the comments below!

Nov 28 2016

Natalie Hoag is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin Madison, and originally from Los Angeles. She is a true Californian at heart, but is finding her way in the midwest one semester at a time. She is majoring in marketing and hopes to someday work for a public relations firm! She is excited to work with The Gift Insider and take on the world of social media.

Nov 12 2016

It’s time to plan ahead and start getting your gift list in order. Below are some deals and ideas to get you going on the right foot this holiday. Tune in to ABC Detroit on 11/13 and Fox Chicago on 11/17 to see some of our picks live.

1. Blue Sky Personalized Notebooks (30% off!)

The best part about planning ahead for the Holidays is you can get so many things personalized. Creating something just for them makes it even more special and thoughtful. The popular line of Blue Sky personalized planners and notebooks just launched the ability to completely customize their notebooks with initials, names and really cute pattern options. Perfect to give teachers, friends, coworkers, etc. Create a design unique to them!

Use Code GIFTINSIDER30 for 30% off

2. AVALON Virtual Reality Headset (20% off!)

AVALON is a brand new affordable virtual reality headset. VR or Virtual Reality is super popular but, most current VR options aren’t accessible to the masses and require an expensive computer or specific game console. What’s great about AVALON is that it’s universal for all smartphones & has loads of user friendly comfort. Perfect for your favorite gamer! $59

Use code GIFTINSIDER20 for 20% off

3.Ghoftdrone 2.0 (10% off)

No experience needed to fly the coolest Drone on the market, GHOSTDRONE 2.0. All you need is your smart phone & the Ehang app and you can capture amazing photos & video footage. Ready to fly right out of the box with 3 easy flight modes. Only drone that lets you see what the Drone sees with its cool FPV goggles. Black or White. $899. $200 off 11/20 – 12/31

Use Code GIFTINSIDER10 for 10% off

4. Tile Tracker (20% off!)

Tile is the perfect gift for the person who tends to forget all their latest gadgets and gizmos. (guilty!) Tile is a tiny Bluetooth tracker and easy-to-use app that finds everyday items like your phone, keys, purse, glasses in seconds. Easily attach it to the things you need most. perfect stocking stuffer! The Tile combo 4 pack includes 2 Tile Slims and 2 Tile Mates. Normally $110, now $90

20% off for holidays

5. Gift Crates (30% off!)

Perfectly giftable Gift Crates arrive at your door in a wooden crate & are to be opened with enclosed crowbar. They come in all different themes for all types of recipients. This is their Old School Gift Crate, the gift of favorite memories! Includes Old School toys … Slinky, Rubick’s Cube, Yomega Yo Yo, Pez Dispenser & of course Old School Cand. Tons of cool stuff from your past! $74.99
Use GIFTINSIDER30 for 30% off till 11/26/2016

7. Fin Fun Mermaid Tales

These gorgeous Fin Fun Mermaid Tails are a magical gift whether it’s for swimming or a costume. Swimmable & fun, they also have a flipper/monofin to go under tail. $99 for kids & $109 for adults, which includes a removable Fin Fun monofin, so that you can really swim like a mermaid. Fantasy accomplished.

Help them stay true to their eco values, even with their Christmas tree. Habitree is a new kind of holiday tree created for people whose values such as sustainability are as important as the joy they take in decorating for the holidays. Made from premium, sustainably farmed wood. Love these for apartment dwellers & businesses too. Made of Kebony Wood, available in Clear & Character wood types. 37″, 50″ or 70″ tall. $315 to $581.

Check out our clip on Fox Chicago News chatting about a few of these unique gifts.

We also chatted about this picks on ABC Detroit!

We’d love to hear what you are gifting for the Holidays. Check out our Hanukkah/Christmas gift section for more inspo.